Editorial

Regionality and Development: The Role of Management

Regionalidade e desenvolvimento: o papel da gestão

Back to Index

Marco Antonio Pinheiro da Silveira¹, Orcid https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6658-5548 ; Rodrigo Fernandes Malaquias², Orcid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7126-1051 ; Márcio Lopes Pimenta³, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3899-3274 ;Maria do Carmo Romeiro⁴, Orcid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3158-7903 

1. Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul, Programa de Pós Graduação em Administração, São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo, Brasil. E-mail: marco.pinheiro@online.uscs.edu.br 

2. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Faculdade de Gestão e Negócios, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil. E-mail: rodrigofmalaquias@ufu.br .

3. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Faculdade de Gestão e Negócios, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil. E-mail: pimenta@ufu.br .

4. Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul, Programa de Pós Graduação em Administração, São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo, Brasil. E-mail: maria.romeiro@online.uscs.edu.br 

* Autor correspondente: marco.pinheiro@online.uscs.edu.br ; R. Conceição, 321 – Bairro Santo Antonio, São Caetano do Sul – S, Brasil, CEP: 09530-060 P

1 Regionality: Concept and Dimensions

The term regionality has been employed in various contexts, both within academic environments and in journalistic texts and technical studies in the public sector. However, it is important to note initially that there is no standardized definition for the term, and in fact, the word is not found in Portuguese language dictionaries.

Despite this, the concept of regionality has been solidified and gained relevance in the academic sphere. Instead of seeking a strict definition, it might be more productive to consider it as an umbrella term for a set of theoretical approaches that place the theme of the region, not just from a geographical perspective, at the center. There are studies focusing on social and geographical dimensions that address theoretical concepts such as: 1) the concept of composition, which defines the notion of synchrony among structural, infrastructural, historical, and cultural elements of a place (Stewart, 2013); 2) the concept of regional development, which can be related to the characteristics of the social, cultural, geographical, economic, and political environment of a given region (Gil, Oliva, Novaes & Silva, 2013). Thus, it is clear that the concept of regionality, in its foundations, shows dependence and influence from the action and presence of various elements to define the characteristics of a particular region, as well as its respective effects on the environment.

Other investigations address more specific concepts within the scope of regionality, such as knowledge sharing (Morgan, 1997); aesthetics (Stewart, 2013); identity (Weck, 2020); locality (Tuominen, Jussila & Saska, 2020); and values (Mccann, 2007). Additionally, there are studies dedicated to more operational aspects, aimed at identifying regional characteristics and their respective impacts on the outcomes of organizations or specific regions. These studies encompass various themes in regional contexts, such as short supply chains (Solarz, Raftowicz, Kachniarz & Dradrach, 2023); clusters (Bell, Tracey & Heide, 2009); innovation (Thapa, Iakovleva & Foss, 2019); competitiveness (Ciffolilli & Muscio, 2018); and sustainability (Ruffer & Coenen, 2012).

Gil, Oliva, and Silva (2007) presented an essay aimed at stimulating reflection on the development of regionality as an emerging function of administration and as a scientific discipline with a defined place in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Administration. These authors draw attention to the existing confusion between the concepts of regionality and regionalism, as both depend on regional movements. For them, however, regionality is linked to the reorganization of the local state with new forms of partnership that emerge to guide and promote the development of local resources. It would thus be related to the effective cooperation between regional government bodies and various segments of civil society with the purpose of promoting regional development.

A search on the Web of Science (WOS) with the term regionality, on 04/21/2024, yielded 734 results. When observing the areas (WOS categories) with the highest number of publications, Food Science Technology, Meteorology/Atmospheric Sciences, and Environmental Sciences appear at the top, showing that the term is applied in different contexts. The call for papers for this special edition, as well as the journal Gestão & Regionalidade itself, has Administration (business and public) as its main area, but works from various related fields may be relevant to the theme, such as Economics, Urban and Regional Planning, Geography, and others. In the search conducted on WOS, the field of Economics ranked 11th in terms of the number of published works, with 17 papers. From the field of Administration, there were 5 papers.

The initiative to create this special edition of the journal Gestão e Regionalidade is the result of a partnership between two stricto sensu postgraduate programs in Administration: the one at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) and the one at the Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul (Uscs). The former incorporated the area of regionality more recently, in 2019, while the latter was created in 1998, receiving recognition from Capes in 2003.

Regionality was included as one of the concentration areas of PPGAdm/UFU in 2019, aiming to seek innovative and impactful content for intellectual production in the field of Administration (PPGAdm/UFU, 2024). The theme explored in the studies developed in this program seeks to go beyond a geographic unit, aiming to encompass other elements (PPGAdm/UFU, 2024). Therefore, it is required at PPGAdm/UFU that research developed since then addresses regionality; additionally, it is required that dissertations and theses mention regionality in their titles and that the abstract briefly informs the impacts and contributions the respective work provides to the regions where UFU exerts the most influence, namely: the mesoregions of Triângulo Mineiro, Alto Paranaíba, southern Goiás, and eastern Mato Grosso do Sul (PPGAdm/UFU, 2024).

On the one hand, the formation of PPGAdm/UFU is related to the extensive region of central Brazil, while the genesis of PPGA USCS is connected to the ABC region of São Paulo, which is part of the metropolitan region of São Paulo. The ABC region underwent significant transformations in its economic structure in the 1980s and 1990s, due to productive changes—especially the issue of lean production—experienced by various industrialized regions worldwide. The process initiated in ABC, primarily by the automotive sector, quickly spread to other industrial sectors in the region. This issue, within a context of advancing globalization, contributed to a broad restructuring of organizational management, whether in production management, people management, material and financial resource management, or in the way of relating to other organizations; or even in the management of public policies and programs, and more broadly, in the discussion of local/regional development with the different actors present in the territory, operating from organizational networks.

The team that developed the Master's in Administration program at Imes (currently Uscs) in 1998 sought to highlight, on one hand, the entrepreneurial culture of the region, and on the other, regional consciousness and identity. Both have permeated the history of the region, known for initiating significant social transformations in the country.

The union of researchers from the PPGAs of UFU and Uscs for this edition is very welcome because it promotes an exchange between two groups dedicated to studying regionality from the perspective of Administration. Thus, this exchange can generate an overflow into the community.

The focus of the call is “the role of management,” which can be understood as “What can we do to promote regionality within companies?” The approved articles involve different methodological approaches, including qualitative studies, quantitative studies, case studies, research with primary data, and analyses with secondary data, which also highlights the diversity of approaches to the theme

2 Regionality and Economic Geography

The approach of Economic Geography provides significant contributions to researchers, public managers, funding agencies, and entrepreneurs interested in management by considering the element of regionality. Economic geographers have identified that traditional economic analysis does not encompass the full understanding of the development processes of localities; therefore, their approaches have been directed towards the institutional, cultural, and social foundations of the local/regional economy (Boschma & Martin, 2010). Economic geography aims to describe, analyze, and explain development by emphasizing the importance of geographical context, particularity, differentiation, as well as historical aspects (Gong & Hassink, 2020). In the field of Economic Geography, different investigative contexts are explored depending on the researchers' interests, although there is a central emphasis on a geographically contextual analytical approach (Asheim, 2020; Gong & Hassink, 2020).

For instance, Audretsch, Falck, Feldman, and Heblich (2012) propose a model that can be used to analyze the context of local entrepreneurship. The authors tested the interrelationship between regional characteristics and business activities in seventy-four regions of Western Germany. Moreover, they analyzed the specific propensity of local employees to start a business using data count models. According to the researchers, empirical results suggested the existence of distinct regional entrepreneurial regimes. On one side, there are those where local workers have a high propensity to start a business, and on the other, there are routineized regional regimes with a lower propensity to generate local entrepreneurial activity. This type of analysis can be useful for management aimed at regional development.

According to Binz, Truffer, and Coenen (2016), studies in the field of Economic Geography discuss the question of "where and how new industrial paths emerge." The concept of path creation is central to this approach. The authors present a new analytical framework that specifies the formation of "generic resources" in nascent industries. They suggest that path creation processes are not only conditioned by pre-existing regional capacities but also by how business and non-business actors mobilize and anchor essential resources for industry formation. Finally, they argue that the anchoring of extra-regional resources is integral to explanations of initial path creation.

The growing strand of research in Evolutionary Economic Geography (EEG) addresses issues of regional path creation. MacKinnon, Dawley, Pike, and Cumbers (2019) assert that path creation is based on the idea that local legacies and specific conditions play a critical role in supporting the emergence of new economic activities. In addition to presenting a critical assessment of the state-of-the-art research on path creation, the study identifies the main dimensions of path creation and their constitutive interrelations.

Hassink, Isaksen, and Triple (2019) indicate that path creation is a key concept in Economic Geography. Although they assert that EEG scholars have pioneered research on the topic, it can be very beneficial for researchers in the field of Management to incorporate this approach, aimed at studying how new economic activities emerge in regions, referred to as "development of a new regional industrial trajectory."

The contribution made by MacKinnon et al. (2019), according to the researchers themselves, is supported by a Geographical Political Economy (GPE) approach that provides the ontological basis for integrating the five main dimensions of path creation. GPE informs that experienced actors operating in multiscalar institutional environments create paths through the strategic coupling of regional and extra-regional assets to path creation mechanisms and associated markets. Therefore, management seeking development by exploring the regionality aspect should be conducted by such business and non-business actors.

Still addressing the issue of path creation, the proposal by Uyarra and Flanagan (2022) deserves mention, as it deals with system-level agency for creating new paths. The authors conducted a case study of a new and ongoing set of institutional entrepreneurship and system-building activities in the region of Galicia, Spain. Based on the study, they identified the roles and challenges for state-led path creation.

Rodríguez-Pose and Di-Cataldo (2014), in turn, address the issue of institutional quality and how it affects a territory's innovative potential. Although they state that the relationship between the quality of institutions and government and innovation remains a black box, the scholars present research results conducted in regions of the European Union (EU) showing evidence of a causal link between the quality of local governments and territories' ability to generate innovation. They particularly highlight that low government quality becomes a fundamental barrier to the innovative capacity of the EU periphery.

Another approach related to the theme of management for regional development is that which deals with local-based innovation policy for industrial diversification. Grillitsch and Asheim (2018) address such industrial innovation policies, based on smart specialization, aimed at boosting economic growth through diversification into more complex and higher-value economic activities. The authors use a conceptual and analytical framework to support the design and implementation of such policies, considering specific local preconditions, particularly the differentiation of the regional innovation and entrepreneurship system and the current degree of industrial diversification.

According to Balland and Boschma (2021), regional capabilities are considered a pillar of smart specialization strategy. For these researchers, what matters is not merely being connected to other regions but to regions that provide complementary capabilities.

Another aspect to consider for effective management of regionality is the idea of creating engines of industrial diversification. In this sense, Xiao, Boschma, and Andersson (2018) studied how such engines depend on economic and industrial structures. Similarly, they analyzed the role of industry relationships in explaining variations in industrial diversification.

Conversely, Trippl, Grillitsch, and Isaksen (2018) explored another relevant topic when considering the theme of management for regional development, investigating the conditions and how non-local knowledge can lead to the development of new paths in different regional innovation systems. Finally, it is pertinent to mention a study that analyzed how actors can change institutions. This approach, by Battilana, Leca, and Boxenbaum (2009), is seen as an effort towards a theory of institutional entrepreneurship. This is a topic strongly related to the issue of management aimed at development and regionality.

3 Articles in the Special Issue within a Regional Context

Table 1

Selected Articles for this Issue

Geographic delimitations of a country, including internal ones, imply territorial differentiations encompassing natural, climatic, economic, and social conditions (Uskelenova & Nikiforova, 2024). The characteristics of a region, which emerge from its resources and support economic activities, influence the type of activity to be developed by local companies, creating opportunities and challenges related to the regional context (Neffke, Hartog, Boschma & Henning, 2018; Xiao, Boschma & Andersson, 2018). Therefore, if a given locality lacks a specific resource necessary for a particular activity, it will be impossible to develop that activity in the region (Xiao, Boschma & Andersson, 2018).

Geographical indications fit into this context, as they consider the identities of locally developed products that, due to their characteristics, have a competitive edge and stand out in the market. In one of the articles in this special issue, Vitorino and Avrichir (2024) analyzed whether Technical Specification Notebooks (CET), which contain information on geographical indications, include phrases that can be interpreted as references to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Both Prof. Dr. Ilan Avrichir and Ph.D. candidate Sidney Lincoln Vitorino are affiliated with the Higher School of Advertising and Marketing (ESPM). Although the subject is relevant, the authors highlighted gaps that could be filled so that CETs contain elements aligned with the SDGs. Another article in the special issue addressed the SDGs. Through a case study at a university in southern Brazil, Chris (2024) characterized managerial actions and regional characteristics that favor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the university environment. The study also maps the main barriers to implementing the Agenda.

Cordeiro, Montibeler, Cruz, Gomes, and Oliveira (2024) considered, in their analysis, the municipal level in the Metropolitan Region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, aiming to understand variables related to tax collection and employment levels. The authors are affiliated with different educational institutions, namely: Iguaçu University in Rio de Janeiro, the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal University of Espírito Santo. The research highlights the relevance of micro and small enterprises to the economy at both national and regional levels, also emphasizing public policies aimed at such enterprises.

Levels of social inequality present in the Brazilian scenario also mark the regional dimension. For example, the study by Pinto, Borges, Nascimento, and Santos (2024) highlights this characteristic as a present element in the analyzed region, Baixada Fluminense. The authors analyzed the implementation of a Food Acquisition Program at a higher education institution, highlighting opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses related to the project. Regarding the institution, all four authors are affiliated with the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro.

The resources of a region can be accessed by a wide range of companies but will be available specifically in that region (Neffke, Hartog, Boschma, & Henning, 2018). These resources will give a region a differential compared to other localities, and this differential will attract companies, contribute to their development, and consequently to local development. At the same time, local economies — whether of certain cities or the region itself — can become dependent on a set of specific industries, companies, or activities (Xiao, Boschma, & Andersson, 2018).

The work of Colombians Gómez and Delgado addresses the issue of resource scarcity faced by entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city of Pasto, Colombia, proposing organizational management solutions for the focused group.

Silva and Bueno (2024) analyzed an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. The researchers are affiliated with the Federal University of Uberlândia. The necessary integration between participants of an ecosystem (such as educational institutions, the private sector, and public authorities) was examined and highlighted in the study. This type of analysis also reveals regional elements that can favor the implementation of such ecosystems, such as universities seeking integration with the market. Another article in the special issue addresses the influence of regional aspects on the operationalization of innovation systems. In it, Leite (2024) provides a strategic view of environmental uncertainty and its impact on generating innovation through drivers stemming from regional environmental characteristics.

The resources to be accessed in a region also involve intangible aspects, such as intensity in research and development and human capital (Shin, Kim, Lee, & Kogler, 2023). The type of resource can also characterize a regional “growth regime,” where innovation may be favored in regions with higher intensity of knowledge-based factors, while production activities may be favored in regions offering lower-cost industrial parks and minimally qualified professionals (Audretsch et al., 2012). The work of Santos, Santos, and Santos (2024), included in this issue, presents a study of the ordinary management experience carried out by a group of artisans, which can be seen as an example of a resource that brings benefits to the arrangement and the region.

The existence of a certain level of knowledge in a region can also be expanded through knowledge available in external regions, which will drive knowledge both regionally and globally (Trippl, Grillitsch & Isaksen, 2018).

Given this scenario, studies on regionality often consider geographic delimitations to advance knowledge. For example, the level of access to and use of financial services may vary between regions within a country, which can be overlooked when constructing national-level indicators that do not consider interregional inequalities (Elouaourti & Ezzahid, 2024). Similarly, behavioral constructs, such as psychological stress, can differ among people according to their area of residence (Baxter, Tooth & Mishra 2001). It is worth noting that the assessment of regional differences and their effects on psychological constructs is a growing topic (Stuetzer, 2023).

The work included in this special issue by Barros, Formick, and Czarnotta (2024) focuses on the context of peripheral popular territories, addressing the issue of heterogeneity between regions and the social and environmental impact of businesses.

Local communities, neighborhoods, and cities foster partnerships in economic and cultural relations (Claval, 2005), reinforcing the regional character. Moreover, idiosyncrasies related to consumption may require special attention to the regional character (Claval, 2005), facilitating the fulfillment of specific consumer needs. Research on the regional goes beyond this. Thus, the "where" (Whetten, 1989), when adequately addressed, can also contribute to the development of theory and, consequently, to the advancement of knowledge. Further regarding economic advantages related to the management of regional resources, Campos (2024) uses the concept of short supply chains to explain how local culture can foster innovation and sustainability in the production of specialty coffees.

4. Final Considerations and Research Agenda

In our argument, therefore, regionality represents a multifaceted concept. Regional development demands a multidimensional perspective (Alves, 2015), considering various aspects of economic activity. Different theoretical approaches have also been applied, taking into account the regional context specifically. Neffke, Hartog, Boschma, and Henning (2018) argue that the Resource-Based View (RBV) (Barney, 1991) can be adapted for application to regional capacities, provided such resources have value, are rare, difficult to imitate, and non-substitutable. Studies have also considered aspects of economic geography (Alves, 2015; Trippl, Grillitsch & Isaksen, 2018), as pointed out in the previous section.

After reviewing previous studies that address regionality and understanding their theoretical foundations, it is evident that the topic can be approached from different perspectives, contexts, and methodological procedures. Therefore, as a research agenda to expand knowledge on the interaction between regionality and management, new studies can consider the approach of economic geography, evolutionary economic geography, geographical political economy, smart specialization strategy, institutional entrepreneurship, as well as the traditional resource-based view. Various contexts are also relevant to research on regionality, considering:

• Actors (companies, government, universities and higher education institutions, funding agencies, society);
• Regional Resources (regional resource, regional capacity, path creation, identity of local products);
• Innovation (regional innovation policies, government action in innovation policies, intangible resources, human capital, intellectual capital, local knowledge, non-local knowledge);
• Local Idiosyncrasies (territorial characteristics, logistics, types of local activities, industrial diversification, consumption, natural, climatic, economic, and social conditions);
• Sustainability (social inequalities, environmental preservation, and the 2030 Agenda);
• Behavioral Constructs.

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to the authors who submitted articles, the reviewers, and the professors involved in this special issue in various capacities. We also thank the PhD candidates at USCS for their support throughout the editorial process, as well as PPGA/USCS and PPGAdm/UFU for their contributions.

References

Alves, F. D. (2015). Questões Teórico-Metodológicas entre Geografia Econômica e Desenvolvimento Regional. Caderno Prudentino de Geografia, 37(1), 5-21.

Asheim, B. T. (2020). Economic geography as regional contexts ’ reconsidered – implications for disciplinary division of labour, research focus and societal relevance. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography, [s. l.], v. 74, n. 1, p. 25–34., 2020.

Audretsch, D. B., Falck, O., Feldman, M. P., & Heblich, S. (2012). Local Entrepreneurship in Context. Regional Studies, 46(3), 379–389. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2010.490209  

Balland, P.-A., & Boschma, R. (2021). Complementary interregional linkages and Smart Specialisation: An empirical study on European regions. Regional Studies, 55(6), 1059–1070. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2020.1861240 

Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108  

Battilana, J., Leca, B., & Boxenbaum, E. (2009). 2 How Actors Change Institutions: Towards a Theory of Institutional Entrepreneurship. The Academy of Management Annals, 3(1), 65–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/19416520903053598 

Baxter, G. L., Tooth, L. R., & Mishra, G. D. (2021). Psychological distress in young Australian women by area of residence: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 390-396. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.037  

Bell, S. J., Tracey, P., & Heide, J. B. (2009). The organization of regional clusters. Academy of Management review, 34 (4), 623-642.

Binz, C., Truffer, B., & Coenen, L. (2016). Path Creation as a Process of Resource Alignment and Anchoring: Industry Formation for On-Site Water Recycling in Beijing. Economic Geography, 92(2), 172–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2015.1103177 

Boschma, R., & Martin, R. The aims and scope of evolutionary economic geography. In: Boschma, Ron, & Martin, R. (Eds.). The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2010.

Ciffolilli, A., & Muscio, A. (2018). Industry 4.0: national and regional comparative advantages in key enabling technologies, European Planning Studies, 226 (12), pag. 2323-2343, 2018.

Claval, P. (2005). Geografia Econômica e Economia. GeoTextos, 1(1), 11-27.

Elouaourti, Z., & Ezzahid, E. (2024). Factors of regional financial inclusion in Morocco. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 16(3), 12516. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12516 

Gil, A.C., Oliva, E. de C., & Silva, E. C. da. (2007). Desenvolvimento da Regionalidade: Novo Campo da Administração. XXXI Enanpad Encontro da Associação Nacional de Pós Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração. Rio de Janeiro.

Gil, A. C., Oliva, E de C., Novaes, M. B. C. de, & Silva, E. C. da. (2013). Fundamentos científicos da gestão para o desenvolvimento da regionalidade. Revista de Ciências da Administração, 15 (35), 68-81.

Gong, H., & Hassink, R. (2020). Context sensitivity and economic-geographic (re)theorising. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, [s. l.], 13 (3), 475–490. 

Grillitsch, M., & Asheim, B. (2018). Place-based innovation policy for industrial diversification in regions. European Planning Studies, 26(8), 1638–1662. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2018.1484892 

Hassink, R., Isaksen, A., & Trippl, M. (2019). Towards a comprehensive understanding of new regional industrial path development. Regional Studies, 53(11), 1636–1645. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1566704 

MacKinnon, D., Dawley, S., Pike, A., & Cumbers, A. (2019). Rethinking Path Creation: A Geographical Political Economy Approach. Economic Geography, 95(2), 113–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2018.1498294 

McCCann, P. (2007). Observational equivalence? Regional studies and regional science. Regional Studies, 41 (9),1209-1222.

Morgan, K. (2007). The learning region: institutions, innovation and regional renewal. Regional Studies, 41 (S1), S147-S159.

Neffke, F., Hartog, M., Boschma, R., & Henning, M. (2018). Agents of Structural Change: The Role of Firms and Entrepreneurs in Regional Diversification. Economic Geography, 94(1), 23-48, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2017.1391691  

Pinto, I. S. O., Borges, M. S., Nascimento, A. L., & Santos, L. O. (2024). A implantação do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos numa instituição de ensino superior: potencialidades, fragilidades e desafios da gestão pública na Baixada Fluminense/RJ. Gestão & Regionalidade, 40 (Edição Especial).

PPGAdm/UFU - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (2024). Áreas de Concentração / Linhas de Pesquisa. http://www.ppga.fagen.ufu.br/areas-e-linhas-de-pesquisa 

Rodríguez-Pose, A., & Di-Cataldo, M. (2014). Quality of government and innovative performance in the regions of Europe. Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG), 1406. https://ideas.repec.org//p/egu/wpaper/1406.html  

Shin, H., Kim, K., Lee, J., & Kogler, D. F. (2023). Inventors, firms and localities: insights into the nexus that forms and alters the evolution of regional knowledge spaces. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 16, 511-527. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsad019  

Solarz, K., Raftowicz, M., Kachniarz, M., & Dradrach, A. (2023). Back to Locality? Demand Potential Analysis for Short Food Supply Chains. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4),3641.

Stewart, K. (2013). Regionality. Geographical Review, 103 (2),275-284.

Stuetzer, M. (2023). Researching regional differences of psychological characteristics: Some practical tips. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 4, 100114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100114  

Thapa, R. K., Iakovleva, T., & Foss, L. (2019). Responsible research and innovation: a systematic review of the literature and its applications to regional studies. European Planning Studies, 27 (12), 2470-2490.

Trippl, M., Grillitsch, M., & Isaksen, A. (2018). Exogenous sources of regional industrial change: Attraction and absorption of non-local knowledge for new path development. Progress in Human Geography, 42(5), 687-705. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132517700982  

Truffer, B., & Coenen, L. (2012). Environmental innovation and sustainability transitions in regional studies. Regional studies, 46 (1), 1-21..

Tuominen, P., Jussila, I.; & Saksa J. M-M. (2006). Locality and regionality inmanagement of Finnish customer owned co-operatives.International Journal of Co-operative Management, 3(1), 9-19.

Uskelenova, A. T., & Nikiforova, N. (2024). Regional development of Kazakhstan: Theoretical premises and reality. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 16 (3), 12616. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12616  

Uyarra, E., & Flanagan, K. (2022). Going beyond the line of sight: Institutional entrepreneurship and system agency in regional path creation. Regional Studies, 56(4), 536–547. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2021.1980522  

Weck, S. (2020). Doing comparative case study research in urban and regional studies: What can be learnt from practice?. European Planning Studies, 28 (9), 1858-1876.

Whetten, D. A. (1989). What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution? Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 490-495.

Xiao, J., Boschma, R., & Andersson, M. (2018). Industrial Diversification in Europe: The Differentiated Role of Relatedness. Economic Geography, 94(5), 514–549. https://doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2018.1444989